Pilots of small aircraft are generally required to carry with them a variety of items and information which must be accessible before, during, and after flight. Although the particulars may vary depending on jurisdiction, aircraft, and pilot certification, there are some common requirements for pilots of small aircraft. Generally, pilots are required to carry with them information about the specific aircraft the pilots are flying. Pilots are typically required to have access to such information before, during, and after the flight. This includes weight and balance information, and equipment lists. It generally also includes pilot operational handbooks or owners manual, and supplements thereto, which provide performance information and a plurality of checklists.
In addition, pilots are generally required to have access to, and to consult during flight, a variety of general flight information. Some of this information may be contained in a variety of charts or maps which include information about navigation, route, airspace, obstructions, communication and navigational radio frequencies, airport information, and scalable distances. Other information may be contained in an airport facility directory, which provides airport and taxi diagrams, runway information, air traffic control (“ATC”) frequencies, navigational radio frequencies, and general airport information. Still more information may be contained in instrument approach plates for IFR flight plans, including such information as ATC frequencies, navigational radio frequencies and fixes, and detailed approach information. Finally, pilots are typically required to have access to general information on aircraft performance, weather, and other factors which may influence the pilot's ability to conduct a safe flight.
During flight the pilot is typically required to repeatedly review flight path and checkpoint information, track course and frequency changes, monitor the weather, copy clearances and read back instructions from the ATC, and to perform other tasks which require display and writing surfaces. Most small aircrafts do not provide any surface suitable for displaying maps or other navigational aids, or a stable writing surface, other than the copilot or passenger seat. It is not generally convenient for a pilot to consult maps or other navigational aids which are displayed on an adjacent seat, and doing so can contribute to spatial disorientation and pilot fatigue.
In addition to information, pilots are required to carry a number of tools. Generally, these tools include an oxygen tank, 2D flashlights, extra batteries, spare fuses, and a fire extinguisher. Pilots also typically carry a number of flight tools which supplement the mandatory hand-held or built-in tools, such as additional flashlights or emergency lighting and handheld communication or navigation devices.
Finally, pilots often carry a variety of other convenience items such as beverages, snacks, glasses, clipboards, scale rulers, calculators, timers, and pens. The items carried vary from pilot to pilot, as does the individual pilot's need to have each item accessible during flight. Thus no standard collection or arrangement of items is universally suitable.
Generally, small aircrafts do not contain built in storage which permits easy access to such items during flight. This often results in such items sitting loose in the cockpit or being stored in makeshift locations or in devices which are not designed for easy access during flight. For example, the fire extinguisher and/or oxygen tank are generally left loose on the floor, hanging off the back of a seat, under the pilot's seat, in the back of the aircraft, or in other relatively inaccessible locations.
In addition to the problem of organizing the information and tools for a single aircraft, a pilot may use more than one aircraft on a regular or irregular basis. When this is the case, all of the tools and information must be brought onto each new aircraft, organized in a perhaps less familiar cockpit, and removed at the end of the flight. This can result in tools or information being inadvertently left behind, in the flight being delayed while the pilot retrieves necessary tools or information, or in the pilot being unable to locate a tool or information at a crucial moment because of lack of familiarity with the current location of the tool or information.
An additional problem encountered by pilots of small aircraft is pilot fatigue. Particularly during long flights, it is important for the pilot to be able to shift into a variety of comfortable positions in order to avoid fatigue. The lack of a right pilot armrest in most small aircraft deprives the pilot of the ability to shift his or her weight to the right to minimize pilot fatigue. An additional contributing factor to pilot fatigue is the repeated need to compensate for work space inadequacies, such as inaccessible tools and the lack of a convenient writing and display space.
Finally, the cockpit in a small aircraft is generally small. Because of this, it is impractical to use multiple devices to function separately as an armrest, a desk, and an organizer.
Thus, there is a need for an organizer console designed specifically for small aircraft which is removable, to permit the pilot to assemble the contents ahead of flight with the particular items and arrangement customized to his or her own use. There is also a need for an organizer which can function not only as a an organizer, but also as a desk and as an armrest. In addition there is a need for an organizer which can be assembled to position the armrest, desk, and other accessories in a variety of positions to accommodate the different of needs different pilots, or of one pilot as he or she moves from one aircraft to another.